Drama turned to glory on the wind swept and rain drenched Whitsunday Passage today when the popular Sydney yachtsman Stephen AINSWORTH steered his Reichel Pugh 60 Loki to an impressive IRC class win in the opening race of the 2005 Hogs Breath Race Week series.

Less than 24 hours before the new carbon-fibre Loki built at Iain MURRAY'S Azzura Custom Yachts on Queensland's Gold Coast shattered a skin fitting causing some drama for crew member Tony KIRBY when a section of the hull was flooded.

Fortunately Loki was effectively repaired to take part in the 23 n/ml Double Cone-Armit Island race today and showed with her outstanding performance that she was race prepared for her maiden race against the 2003 Admirals Cup champion Wild Oats now racing as Wild Joe skippered by 2003 Hog's Breath IRC class champion Stephen DAVID.

Loki rating 1.398 always maintained the required boat speed in a mix of soft to fresh and frightening 25-35 knot rainsqualls that dominated the weather pattern for the coldest August day in the Whitsundays since 1926.

But no one told the Loki crew they were hot to trot tracking every tactical maneuver set in place by the Wild Joe crew who gained the first to finish honour by 1 minute 41 seconds from Loki with another 3 minutes 59 seconds to Vanguard.

As expected the popular Stephen AINSWORTH and the entire Loki crew had good reason to be pleased when Loki 'blew' her rivals away when she set the fastest corrected time winning the 2 hour 26 minute 24 second race by a runaway 5 minutes 34 seconds from Vanguard and the Victorian Cookson 50 LIVING DOLL Michael HIATT.

In other classes the former World 18 ft skiff champion Stephen KULMAR steered the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Sydney 38 OD sloop Shining Sea to a comfortable 1 minute 22 second win over club mate Gavin WARD in Eye Candy while Wayne KIRKPATRICK steered the Hamilton Island Yacht Club sloop Asylum into third place.

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Nicolai Sehested (DEN) and his TREFOR Match Racing Team clinched victory today at the Energa Sopot Match Race, Poland, the 10th stage and World Championship Event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT).

There was no stopping current, and five-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar today at the Energa Sopot Match Race as he swiftly dispatched his Quarter Final opponent Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) in three straight wins.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) continues to address concerns and is taking steps to ensure the health and safety of all athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Aquece Rio, Olympic Test Event and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Veteran Polish match racer and America's Cup helmsman Karol Jablonski skilfully played the gusty conditions today to lead the twelve strong field of teams at the end of Day 2 of Qualifying at the 2015 Energa Sopot Match Race.